Paid Leave Oregon Launches with Up to 14 Weeks of Paid Family, Medical, and Safe Leave

What Changed

Paid Leave Oregon is now fully operational, providing eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of paid leave per year for qualifying family, medical, and safe leave reasons. Employees who experience pregnancy-related conditions may be eligible for an additional 2 weeks, for a total of up to 14 weeks of paid leave.

The program is funded through payroll contributions that began January 1, 2023, with benefits becoming available to employees starting September 3, 2023. Oregon's program covers three categories of leave:

Family leave: Bonding with a new child, caring for a family member with a serious health condition.
Medical leave: The employee's own serious health condition.
Safe leave: Addressing issues related to domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking.

Who Is Affected

Virtually all Oregon employers are affected by the contribution requirements. The cost is shared between employers and employees:

Employees contribute 60% of the total contribution rate.
Employers contribute 40% of the total rate.
Employers with fewer than 25 employees are exempt from the employer share but must still withhold and remit the employee share.

Employees are eligible for benefits if they earned at least $1,000 in wages from a covered employer during the base year period.

Where It Applies

Oregon statewide. The program covers employees who perform work in Oregon, regardless of employer headquarters location. Employees can apply for benefits through the Paid Leave Oregon website at [paidleave.oregon.gov](https://paidleave.oregon.gov).

When It Takes Effect

January 1, 2023: Payroll contributions began for both employers and employees.
September 3, 2023: Employees may begin applying for and receiving paid leave benefits.

Why It Matters

Paid Leave Oregon is one of the most comprehensive state paid leave programs in the country, covering family, medical, and safe leave under a single program. The inclusion of safe leave — for survivors of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking — is a distinguishing feature that not all state programs include.

For employers, the transition from contribution-only to benefit-availability means that leave requests under the program will begin arriving. HR teams need to be prepared to process these requests, coordinate with existing FMLA and Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) entitlements, and manage the administrative requirements.

Employers who fail to comply with contribution or notice requirements may face penalties from the Oregon Employment Department.

The Humareso Take

Oregon's program is live, and it's one of the most generous in the country. If you have Oregon employees, you should already be making payroll contributions — and now you need to be ready for the benefit side. The safe leave component is worth particular attention, as it adds a category of protected leave that many employers haven't had to administer before. We recommend designating a point person for Paid Leave Oregon claims and making sure your leave tracking system is set up to handle the coordination between Paid Leave Oregon, OFLA, and FMLA. The state's website at paidleave.oregon.gov has solid employer resources — take advantage of them.

Recommended Action Steps

Confirm that payroll contributions are being correctly withheld and remitted to the Oregon Employment Department.
Post the required Paid Leave Oregon notice in a conspicuous location accessible to all employees, and provide it to new hires at onboarding.
Train HR staff and managers on the program's three leave categories (family, medical, and safe leave), eligibility requirements, and the claims process.
Establish a leave coordination procedure to manage the interaction between Paid Leave Oregon, OFLA, and federal FMLA.
Update your employee handbook to include information about Paid Leave Oregon benefits, including how to apply and the employer's obligations during leave.
Contact your Humareso representative for help setting up your Paid Leave Oregon administration and leave coordination framework.